Mara Wilson on Growing up in Hollywood

‘Being cute just made me miserable’: Mara Wilson on growing up in Hollywood
Growing up, one of my absolute favorite movies was Matilda. I saw something of myself in the little girl who found her escape in her books. As I grew a little older, I remember seeing Mrs. Doubtfire, and as soon as Natalie came onto the screen, I said, "That's the little girl from Matilda!" As I was looking on The Guardian's website this week, I came across this article by Mara Wilson. I began to read it, and my heart broke a little.

We often hear stories about how difficult it is to be a child actor in Hollywood. I had heard about the horrors that Judy Garland had gone through, and about the addictions and imprisonment of other stars like Lindsey Lohan, but none of them resonated with me quite as much as Mara Wilson's story. Growing up and going through puberty is hard for everyone, but I cannot imagine how difficult it would be if my world and career depended on how "cute" I was and being held under a microscope and criticized for something that was out of my control.

Unfortunately, I don't think that Mara's story will change Hollywood. The size of the film industry and its dependence on appearance is far too great. However, my hope is that this article will cause people to think differently about these very young actors and actresses as they grow, and to take a hard look at the way they are treated.